When I first began listening to Purgatory Dance Party, I could have sworn I had accidentally slipped in a Mr. Bungle CD.
Yes, the Bungle and Mike Patton references are easy to make, and possibly a well overused way to describe the band or a feeble attempt by those not entrenched in this bizarro experimental genre. Perhaps that is true, but that makes the comparison no less appropriate.
Seriously, can you honestly say that when you first heard "A Wolf in Jesus Skin" you did not double check the liner notes, scouring all corners for a mention of Mike Patton's name? I know I did.
Polkadot Cadaver is essentially Dog Fashion Disco Part II.
The latter band called it quits at the end of 2006, ending its career (as permanently as anything can be in this industry) with the excellent Adultery (which stands as the only Dog Fashion Disco album I've heard). Original Dog Fashion member's singer Todd Smith and drummer John Ensminger, along with more recent Dog Fashion member, guitarist Jasan Stepp formed Polkadot Cadaver. Together they hit the studio and churned out Purgatory Dance Party in a matter of mere months.
Now even if the album was awful (which I am not saying it is by a long shot), something has to be said for the members' penchant for creative band and album names.
After having listened to Purgatory Dance Party a few times, it reveals itself as an accessible experiment that fuses many familiar musical textures into a tapestry that is as welcoming as it is off putting. Bits of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Slayer, and Dog Fashion Disco, of course, weave themselves through the entirety making it accessible to a large group of people, while also forcing them to come face to face with a soul from the distinctly weird and slightly creepy school. They are like that weirdo outsider in school that you were friends with so you could play with the cool toys he had. That's Polkadot Cadaver, the weirdo at school who always had the cool toys, but was slightly scary at the same time. Don't believe me? Just listen to the interesting combinations of familiar sounds and then focus on the lyrics. You may be fascinated, even entranced by the music but if you happen to be in a dark alley with them, you would likely keep moving and stick to the lighted parts of the street.
Article comments
1 - sluggg
Polkadot Cadaver is the best thing to happen to music in years. Too bad they will most likely go unheard by 99.999... percent of the public. It may take a few listens to get used to it. But, once you do, you'll play it over and over again. And if you liked DFD's "Adultery", you should love "Commitment to a Bright Future" and their debut "Anarchists of Good Taste".
2 - dfd lover
YUP i whole heartedly agree!
Love the darkness and lyrics of DFD and soo glad that polkadot cadaver is continuing in it's footsteps! I highly recommend this record to everyone!
3 - #2pencil
What I don't understand, & never will, is that in various interviews Todd has claimed that DFDs inability to bring in money for the band was the reason for the break up. Yet the core members created PolkaDot Cadaver, & as the reviewer stated, will never stand a chance of hitting the mainstream. So what gives?
They went from playing the larger venues in Cleveland as DFD to playing low attendance no-name venues as PolkaDot Cadaver. *shrug*
Give us back our DFD!